tali shivers as he holds her. "put me down" she growls, putting on her tough act. She shivers in her loose, torn clothes due to the coldness of flight. She looks away from him deliberately, not quite attracted to him but not repulsed, either. "Why me?" she asks herself softly, not really expecting an answer.

While on the mildly long swoop ride back to Fal's ship, he called Count Dooku on his personal frequency. Dooku appeared, in light blue as was custom for holograms, looking irritated. "Forgive me if I am short with you, Carani. Ventress has been... dissatisfactory, this day""Sir," Fal said curtly. "I simply wished to know if you could offer me any insight on the Jedi Tali. She was on your personal list, and I've picked her up."Dooku slowly grinned widely. "Indeed. Her purpose will reveal itself in time, my friend. Please bring her back alive, and preferrably, in one piece."A noise came from the background. "Stop ignoring me, Count! I am your apprentice, not that rat Jedi!""Silence!" Dooku roared, as the hologram cut off.Fal frowned. Dooku was being cryptic as ever.

Tali watched Fal fearfully, blinking back silent tears. She knew it was unJedi-like of her to cry in front of her kidnapper, but she couldn't help it. She was a scared teenage girl, and she was crying. She blinked and shifted, uncomfortable in her cross-dressing outfit. Her body ached to be free of the confines of another identity. She wanted to be herself again.

Fal resisted the urge to look back at Tali. Her emotional walls were crumbling as her situation became more apparent to her. He wanted to comfort her, but that would have to wait until he wasn't in command of a ton-heavy piece of steel. He closed down his mind a bit, so her emotions wouldn't overwhelm his focus on driving.

She just wrapped her arms around herself, desperate to maintain control. Her master surely would have given her a good "talking to" if he'd been there. By the day, he became less of a friend and more of a father. She was starting to think he didn't care about her, only about impressing the council. Tali sighed, playing with her soft, red hair.

Fal jetted up the open cargo hold door and parked. He dismounted, helping the girl down. As her emotions got the better of her, she looked more and more like just a girl. Tapping a button, he sent the swoop on its way. "Listen," he said, quietly. "No one's going to hurt you. But if you know anything at all about why you are wanted, I can better protect you." His tone was even and earnest, and he applied no Force to them.

Fal didn't think she was being honest, but he decided not to push it. Being in Dooku's presence was sure to shake any lies loose from this girl. His ship began takeoff procedures. "You can sit in the cockpit with me, or you can stay here in the hold. None of the systems on this ship will react to anyone but me, so don't try anything." He moved towards the cockpit, leaving her to her own devices.

she shivered. "Is there a bathroom?" she asked. she bit her lip, looking nervous. "I really need one" she admitted, blushing bright red. as she focused on her need, her thoughts sprang forth, overwhelming him with thoughts like "he can't see through my shirt, can he?" and "what does he think of me?" and the like. she refused to make eye contact

She gaped after him, shocked at what he'd said. She managed to fit herself into the tiny cubicle and quickly undid the band of plexicloth (invention of mine) that held her chest down. Sighing in relief, she smiled to herself for a minute before remembering the situation she was in. She quickly did up her uniform, used the facilities for their intended purpose, and then exited after washing her hands. "Thank you" she whispered, still mistrusting him but not letting it show. She blushed, realizing he could see her form a bit better but feeling far more comfortable.

"You can sit there," Fal said, indicating the co-pilot's seat. "I know what I said, but, just in case... don't touch anything." Fal's eyes flicked across the readouts. "He moved again," he mumbled, referring to Dooku's location. The man never stayed in one place for long, for obvious security reasons. After flipping a few switches, the stars streaked back behind them and they entered hyperspace.

Tali curled up on the seat, terrified. She tucked her head into her arm, breathing softly. she'd always hated flying. Her friends loved it, but it made her sick. As they flew, she felt her stomach tossing and turning and groaned softly.

Fal left the cockpit for a moment, rustling through the various medications in the fresher. When he returned, he offered a pill to Tali. "This is a metabolic stabilizer - it'll help you to bear the inertial damping." As she stared at his open palm warily, he smiled. "I understand if you don't trust me enough to take this."

she shook her head and ran for the bathroom. As Tali gripped the sides of the bowl of the "creature waste receptacle", she watched all she'd eaten in the whole day return to view. The thought made her sicker. After a few more minutes, Tali stumbled back to her chair, ankle aching again.

Fal's brow furrowed at her sudden obstinacy. He had been under the impression that she didn't mind his presence. "Very well then. My name is Fal Carani," he began. "Jedi Knight. My master was Depa Billaba. I practice the Vaapad style with a few of my own flourishes added in. I was taken at youth like most of my brother Jedi. Yoda once called me a 'destined one.'" He introduced himself, in hopes that it would help Tali loosen up.

"There are bunks in the hold," Fal said, disappointed. The longer this girl played games, the less time Fal was going to have to avert any possibly injury to her. But, as long as she didn't trust him, he couldn't fault her for not telling him anything. I did appear unannounced, tripped her, and then carried her off like so many potatoes, he thought.

Fal twitched, his empathy pinging from Tali entering what he considered personal space. Indeed, his powers were not limited to people, but could also to a limited extent extract extant feelings from spaces and items, as well. This power was greatly inferior to his standard empathy, of course. With her inside a space that was "his," Tali was now slightly more open to his mind. He could sense clearer her confusion, her fear, her hesitance, and... an attraction to him? How bothersome, he sighed. He wasn't unused to women falling for him. He had been graved with flowing wavy long hair, clear emerald eyes, and a strong jawline. He was slender, but not waifish. Women had tended to enjoy his presence ever since he had hit puberty. This, however, was more than a simple attraction - it was a full fledged infatuation. Well, she certainly doesn't waste time.

Tali slept peacefully for the first time in ages, dreaming of faraway lands. She didn't realize it as she as sleeping, but her dream not only played out for her but for Fal as well... she dreamt she was standing at the edge of the dock, lightsabre in her hand. Instead of tucking it back into her belt and walking back to her residence, she threw it into the river. He was worth giving it all up for, and he had died. Her passion was gone... She no longer desired to be a Jedi Knight with all her heart. Feeling defeated, she dove into the water for a refreshing wash. Upon emerging from the water, she realized her uniform had become a simple dress and a man was standing on the shore. He approached her and touched her cheek softly. It was a kind gesture, she knew, but what it meant, this she did not know.

Fal stared blankly ahead of him. What had just happened had been horrendously unusual, especially because he knew how it had happened. Tali had dreamt of the two of them, romantically - and he, wide awake, had experienced the dream as if it were his own. He had no idea what to make of this, as few in the universe could claim a link to his mind strong enough to have an effect of that sort on him, even accounting for where she was at this moment. To his knowledge, only his Master and his old friend Tessa were capable. This was... interesting.